Jewelry

[bargainsgirl]

How do you clean your gold and your sterling silver jewelry?  I do not like the cloths.

[Kachina624]

Then I guess you don't want to hear how most people clean their jewelry because polishing, tarnish removing cloths are the way to do it.

[cindyNC]

@bargainsgirl  I rarely purchase sterling jewelry as I hate when it tarnishes and I'm not good at caring for it. LOL

[ALRATIBA]

For a quick once-over - cloths are great.  I do my rings and earrings once or twice a week.

For stuff that needs real cleanng (don't laugh) ...I use tooth paste and an old tooth brush.  Works really good on costume jewelry also.  I did a batch of winter pieces last weekend.  They had been stored and looked dull - look just fine now.

An old method that works great on silver flatware .... shallow bowl lined with aluminum foil - add warm water and some Arm and Hammer Washing Soda and left the stuff soak.  

[TerryNJ]

I found that the cloths didn't help much with my tarnish on sterling silver.  I looked how to clean it  online.  It was something like lining the bottom of a dish with aluminum foil, utting your jewelry on it, then pouring boiling water with vinegar and baking soda.  It really worked.  I would double check online for the right proportions and if I remembered it right. 

[Kachina624]

Yours is a method of cleaning recommended for flatware.  It'll remove oxidation and you risk cracking gemstones.  It'll ruin many opaque gemstones including turquoise.

If your polishing cloth isn't working, try a Sunshine Cloth.  Once your jewelry is cleaned up and stored in an anti tarnish box, you'll seldom have to polish it again.  I have a ton of silver and rarely polish anything.

[TheMemphisVette]

i have tons of sterling jewelry

these are what i use

takes the tarnish off without harming the finish or on purpose oxidation

these 2 look well used but have plenty of life left

i order them on amazon

[rockygems123]

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@bargainsgirl wrote:

How do you clean your gold and your sterling silver jewelry?  I do not like the cloths.

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@bargainsgirl 

What is the condition of the jewelry that makes cleaning cloths unacceptable?

[Desertdi]

Solid Gold:    (with or without gemstones)...mix a drop of liquid dishwashing detergent in a bowl of water, and swish around.    You can also use ammonia instead of the soap.

[Ainhisg]

This is a timely question.  I just ordered the Connoisseur's silver cloth from Amazon yesterday.  It is great for quick tarnish removing/polishing.  What prompted my order is that I was laying out my jewelry that I'm going to wear today and noticed that several of my sterling silver gemstone rings had tarnished. My cloth has been long gone.  Like a previous poster, I got out an old toothbrush and some toothpaste, and they look like new now.  But the cloth works just as well if used regularly.  For my gold and gemstone jewelry, I have a dip I use.  I also use a squirt of Windex occasionally on them if in a hurry.  I am going to be taking my opal jewelry to a jeweler soon to have them cleaned.

I would sure like to know if there is a better/easier way to clean silver, gold, gemstone jewelry!

20+ years ago, the Q sold an anti-tarnish jewelry box for sterling silver jewelry.  I loved it.  Then I bought a huge jewelry armoire and gave the box to a friend.  What a mistake that was.  I wonder if the anti-tarnish jewelry boxes are available anywhere.  I don't even remember the name of it.  It was a green marbled hard plastic with a gold clasp; that's all I remember about it.